Westglen School celebrates a 20 year old partnership and friendship with Japanese community
Westglen School in Didsbury is looking back with appreciation about the positive impacts of a 20 year old relationship with a Japanese community. Since 2005, students from Miki Town, Japan, have visited Westglen School as a part of an educational and cultural exchange for junior high students.
The Town of Didsbury and Miki Town became officially twinned municipalities in 2009. Although exchanges occurred every year for many years, this is the first time since the COVID pandemic that the exchange has happened. Miki Town students visited Didsbury for 6 days in late March.
“It has been very positive for our students,” says Carolyn Massel, Principal of Westglen School. “It gives them a chance to consider life from a new lens. Also, I love seeing how the students of two different cultures and languages - who think they are so different when they first meet each other - end up finding so much in common. They connect over music, social media and sports. Our students grow close with their friends, and have a hard time saying goodbye.”
During their visit, the Japanese students toured Banff, spent two days in classes with their Canadian friends, and time with their billet families. According to Massel, highlights for the Japanese students include staying on farms and seeing the animals, throwing snowballs, and having a wiener roast.
“These are experiences they haven’t had before,” says Massel. “Also, they couldn’t get over how dirty our cars can get, driving rural and winter roads, which I thought was humorous.”
The students from Japan spend time teaching their Canadian friends about Japanese culture and language. Westglen students learned words from the Japanese language, calligraphy, and origami. Also Japanese students showcased drumming, which Massel described as “incredible.”
Adults that accompanied the students from Japan toured the other Didsbury schools and had the chance to compare approaches to education.
Didsbury students say the visits are ones they’ll remember for a long time.
Grayson R., a Grade 7 Westglen student, says, “I learned how to use chopsticks. It was pretty hard at first but then it was super easy! Being a host is a fun experience because you learn about their language and culture and meet new people. Rina loved going to Drumheller and seeing the dinosaurs. She also had a lot of fun when we let her drive the quad while we were doing chores."
Wylie W., a Grade 7 Westglen student, says, "We hosted Yuya and he taught us how to make paper cranes. He gave us matcha tea from Miki Town and now we drink it every day. We talked a lot and Yuya was really surprised by the fact that we have recess and go outside so much! I would love to go to Japan and see the cherry blossoms and see what school is like there. We are definitely going to keep in touch!"